January 2026 Newsletter
In This Issue
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year from all of us at Voyager Music Lessons NYC!
We're excited to start 2026 with lots and lots of music! To our returning students, welcome back! We can't wait to continue your musical journey with you. And to those just joining us this month, we're so glad you're here!
This year promises to be our best yet, with several open mic nights and our Spring recital on the calendar. Dates for these events will be announced soon, so stay tuned!
January Student of the Month: Get To Know Lucas!
This month, we would like to honor Lucas, a very talented, and very hardworking Voyager student!
How old are you?
"7 years old"
How long have you been taking lessons?
"2 years"
What is your favorite song or piece you've learned so far?
"Sugar Plumb Fairy"
What piece are you working on now?
"Storm and Stress"
What do you love most about the piano?
"I get to play beautiful songs."
What do you love most about your teacher?
"She is always happy and encouraging. She also challenges me with difficult songs."
What do you do if a piece is particularly challenging or you find yourself getting frustrated?
"I take 3 deep breaths and tell myself, "You can do this!""
Besides music, what else do you like to do for fun?
"I like to play with my little brother, go to the park and play soccer with my friends."
Fun Piano Facts
The piano is by far the most popular instrument for students at Voyager Music Lessons and for good reason! The piano is an incredibly versatile and beautiful instrument that has been around for centuries. Here are some interesting facts about the piano:
The piano was invented in 1709 in Italy by harpsichord maker Bartolomeo di Francesxo Cristofori. Cristofori wanted to create an instrument that, unlike the harpsichord, could change volume based on the pressure of the player's touch. One of Cristofori's original pianos resides right here in NYC at the Metropolitan Museum of Art!
The piano has the widest range of tones of any instrument. A piano plays a note lower than the lowest note on a double-bassoon and higher than the top note of a piccolo!
The world's fastest pianist played 824 notes in 60 seconds. Domingos Antonio Gomes holds the Guinness World Record title for fastest pianist. Watch this amazing feat by clicking the image below:
There are specially made left-handed pianos. Christopher Seed, a left-handed pianist, created a piano that is a mirror image of a typical piano. The high notes begin on the left side, and the lower notes move down in pitch towards the right.
Pianos have been sent and played in outer space. The first song ever played on a piano in space was Happy Birthday! Check out this space rendition of the Charlie Brown theme on a YAMAHA PSR-282 by clicking on the image below:
The exact middle of the piano is not middle C. It's actually the space between E and F above middle C.
There is paino made entirely of crystal: This piano was played by Lang Lang at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games opening ceremony, and was sold for $3.22 million! Click below to watch the ceremony-it's pretty amazing!
Practice Leaderboard
Our students have been practicing like crazy! At Voyager, we gamify practice with an app called Practice Space that lets students track all their practice and exchange practice points for prizes. Last month's top practicers are:
Week of 12/1: Terra W
Week of 12/8: Eliot C
Week of 12/15: Shelby K
Week of 12/22: Shelby K
Week of 12/29: Eliot C
